Chapter Eleven: Research and Development

After watching her grandparents reunite, Emma vowed to do what ever it took to help her Gran's condition. Steve deserved more time with her, more where days where she was lucid, and after everything they've been through they both deserved a second chance. It had been hard on Steve to see Peggy like that. Hell, she had been dealing with it longer than Steve had and it was still extremely difficult to see the strongest woman in the world so. . . weak.

So, here she was: pouring over research from Dr. Erskine's super soldier experiments hoping for a way to extend Peggy's life. She was willing to bleed for this woman. Emma knew she wouldn't find a cure because she wasn't that lucky and she certainly wasn't that smart. She was reading, yet again, the file on her grandfather when her phone rang. She glanced at it, Bruce's name flashing on the screen. Why was he calling so late? As she was picking up the phone, she saw the time on the computer screen. It was 8:30 in the morning. Oops.

"Hey, Bruce," she greeted with a yawn.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" the adorable scientist asked.

"No, I'm actually still awake," Emma replied.

"Still? Have you gone to bed at all?" Bruce asked with concern.

"No, I've been up all night researching," she told him.

"Researching what? Can I ask or is that classified?" he asked.

"No, it has nothing to do with Shield. Well, not really," she paused pinching the bridge of her nose and suddenly she realized just how tired she was. "You're going to think that I'm being silly. I feel silly."

"Tell me," he said softly.

So, she told him all about her grandparents and how she wanted to give them more time to spend together. Saying all that made her feel like a child and maybe it was childish to hope for a miracle.

"I don't think you're being silly," Bruce said softly. "Look why don't you come to New York and I'll help you out."

"You'd do that?" she asked. "Help me?"

"Of course, Emma," Bruce replied.

After agreeing to get some rest, Emma hung up with Bruce, a huge smile on her face. Bruce really was the best. As she laid in bed and started drifting off to sleep, thoughts of the doctor swimming through her head. The last thing she saw was Bruce's smiling face before her.

The next day, after clearing things with Fury, she got up bright and early to leave for New York. She arrived a few hours later at Avengers Tower dressed in a tight blue sweater that made her eyes pop and dark, distressed jeans. Her hair was down in dark waves, curling around her shoulders. Bruce was waiting for her in the lobby and grinned when he saw her. She also could have sworn he checked with the way he looked her up and down in appreciation. She definitely picked the right outfit.

"Thanks again, Brucie," she said, greeting him with a hug.

"It's really no problem, Emma. I think it's sweet you want to give your grandparents more time together," Bruce said, pulling away, his cheeks tinged pink.

He grabbed her bag and they began walking into the building together.

"I don't expect a cure or anything but if anyone can give her more time then it's you, Bruce. You're the smartest man I ever met," Emma said, smiling at him.

"Don't let Tony hear you say that," Bruce said, his face redder than she had ever seen him.

After stuttering his thanks, he went quiet. They rode the elevator to the labs in silence and when they arrived Bruce immediately began setting up, without looking at her. Finally, after a few minutes, he turned to her and showed her over to his desk, where he pulled out a chair for her. She beamed at him, he really was a gentleman.

"I'll be running quite a few tests on you which means drawing blood and other things," Bruce said.

"I've expected that and I'll do whatever it takes," Emma said.

"I've done research on the serum before and as you know, it led to well, what I am now. I don't want to disappoint you when nothing happens," Bruce said.

"Bruce," she said, reaching out and taking his hand. "If you can't do it then no one can."

"You have so much faith in someone who turned himself into a monster," he replied.

"You aren't a monster and neither is the Hulk. He saved many people in the battle of New York including Tony's. Besides, even as the smartest man in the world you are still human and humans make mistakes which I don't think the Hulk was," Emma told him.

"You don't?" he asked.

"No, and one day you'll realize that too," Emma said.

They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, their hands still clasped together. It took them a couple of minutes to realize what they were doing, staring longingly at one another. They coughed awkwardly and quickly broke apart before jumping head first into the research. They spent the next several days working in close proximity on it.

They continued to spend the next couple of weeks cooped up in the lab doing nothing but working, eating, and sleeping. He tested her blood on mice who suffered a disease much like dementia, mice who were generously donated. Two weeks turned into a month and that's when Tony showed up to find them in a very awkward position.

After working very hard that day, they both ended up crashing on the blue couch in Bruce's lab. Bruce's glasses hung loosely off his nose as he snored, his head resting on top of Emma's. Meanwhile, she was curled into his side with her head resting on his shoulder and his arm wrapped tightly around her.

"JARVIS, get a picture of this," Tony's obnoxious voice waking up both Bruce and Emma.

It took them a minute to fully wake up and when they did, they jumped apart quickly. They blushed furiously as they stood up quickly and refused to look at each other.

"Tony, I thought you were visiting Pepper's parents for a month," Bruce said, fixing his glasses.

"Yes, it's been a month, Dr. Banner, but I suppose time flies when you're busy snogging," Tony said, saying the last part in a horrible British accent.

"Tony," Bruce said, a warning tone in his voice.

"What are you doing here, baby Cap?" Tony asked.

"Bruce is helping me on a project," Emma replied.

She would have denied that there was anything between her and Bruce but what would be the point with Tony? Besides, she thought that it might be true.

"No. . . ," she said, pausing and then sighed. It was his tower and his lab. "He's helping me give my grandmother more lucid moments."

"Really? Do you think you can do it?" Tony asked.

"Yes, absolutely and I think we're very close to a solution," Bruce replied.

"Do you want my help?" he asked, sincerely.

"You want to help?" Emma asked in surprise.

"Don't be surprised, Baby Cap, I'm not so annoying all the time," Tony said pausing. "Besides, if there was something that I could do to give my mom more time then I would do it."

So, the three of them set off to work, all of them determined to give Peggy Carter more time.

A/N: Okay, so when I said this was based on my story "Turn Back Time," I meant that it's loosely based on it. It's drastically different and it will be a while before we get to Bucky and Emma. Bear with me. Also, I'm not very good with science so bear with me in the next couple of chapters as well. Any corrections, tell me and I will appreciate it.